Always Prepared
by Nature9000
Summary: After telling Ty how he is often prepared for embarrassment, the twin who struggles with identity and individualization reveals to both Ty and Cece just how trapped he feels. After a brisk pep talk, can he really tell his family his true desires?
1. Gunther's Struggle

Always Prepared

Disclaimer: I don't own this show

A/N: Never thought the day would come I'd write a oneshot for this, _but_, I was given an idea by one sentence. The show "Shake it Up" on Disney. So this is a oneshot, I was given this idea by Gunther's line to Ty in one of the episodes, in which Ty tells him to prepare to be embarrassed, and he states "I am always prepared to be embarrassed", then walks off. Enjoy the oneshot my friends.

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-ALWAYS COME PREPARED-

Gunther groaned as the sunlight bore into his room and burned through his eyelids, his radio started blaring out the latest rock single, filling his ears with music. He was tempted to bust a move, but it was too damn early in the morning. That, and, he just had a near horrid dream that he'd just become the brother-in-law to Rocky Blue and her brother, Ty. Sometimes, his sister's midnight ramblings were just too much to deal with, thank _god_ sleeping was practically the one thing they _didn't_ do together.

He cared deeply for Tinka, of course, and he didn't actually care that she had some sort of crush on Rocky's brother. Ever since he paid the guy to go on a date with her, that's all she talked about. She'd actually stopped for a while, but that ping-pong game yesterday apparently sparked a new fire in her. He had a hard time listening, but he was raised to always hear his family's tales out to the end, unfortunately. The thing was, in a way, Ty was like a brother. The 'cool' sibling he never had. Not to say that Tinka wasn't great, but she could be just a _little _pushy. Or was that an understatement?

He put his hands behind his bed and exhaled slowly, the aura in the room felt like it would be a great Saturday morning. He was up a bit too late with homework, which was why he still felt it was too early to be waking up, but his family wanted him up at eleven o'clock sharp. He loved them, in all honesty, he did, but he was driving himself nuts over what his conversation with Ty had been the night prior. After the statement he made about always being prepared when it comes to being embarrassed, Ty asked him about it, and they talked briefly for a moment.

He looked around his room and smiled at the familiar white walls decorated with posters of various rock artists and portraits of nature. His carpet, albeit difficult to see beneath some of the papers, trash, and clothing, was a nice shade of burgundy carpeting. Tinka was the cleaner of the two. Above his head, to the right a few inches, was a model guitar of Van Halen, one item he was truly proud of.

_No one_ was allowed in his room, that was the one place where he maintained some control.

He glanced towards his right, to the window with the maple desk in front. It had a sleek, silver laptop with a wireless keyboard and mouse, resting atop it. The desk had many drawers with golden handles. Also on the desk was a picture that he kept relatively hidden from Tinka. It had a silver leaf frame, with Cece's bright eyes lighting up the photo, and her lips twisted into a curvy smirk. Yes, there were some things that he managed to keep away from Tinka, and the budding romance that he'd been _somehow_ keeping under wraps was one of them.

"Oh Gunther!" Tinka's voice and swift, rapid knocking jarred him from his thoughts and sent him in a screaming downfall onto the ground. He let out a small groan, thankful that he didn't hit the brown end table beside him. "Are you awake yet, dearest brother?"

"I am…_now_." His tone came out more agitated than he wanted it to, so he quickly corrected himself. "I mean. Yes, lovely sister! Have you showered yet?" Maybe she could wake him after her hour-long shower. Although, there was always the chance she already had that covered.

"Yes, now hurry up Gunther. I've picked out our wardrobe for the day!" He rolled his eyes and slowly rose to his feet. This was what he was talking about. Ever since the early days of his friendship with Ty, he'd become increasingly fond of the cool-style look. He had always been a fan of cool clothing, rock anthems, and just about anything else that was one of a teenage boy's American Dreams. He just couldn't be vocal about it, because neither Tinka, nor his parents would hear of it.

He _did_ like flashy colors, sometimes. He didn't mind the animal style clothing, like the leopard spotted shirts, but when it came to glitter, he _hated_ it. Only, since they were kids, Tinka had this thing where they _had_ to wear matching outfits. He did it to please her, because she was his twin sister, and so it followed that they would do anything together, no matter _how embarrassing_ it was. People cracked jokes at him constantly, some even demeaning to his masculinity, but did he care? Yes, yes he did, but he refused to vocalize this.

"You've picked our wardrobe?" He moved his eyes to his closet, and let out a slow, depressed sigh, as he eyed the dusty clothing. Never a chance to wear anything.

"Yes! If you come out, I will show you!" He was almost afraid to even ask, but did not wish to hurt her feelings. He slowly moved to the door and cracked it open a little. He looked over at Cece's photo, smiled, and looked to his sister with that same big grin. Sometimes, it was that photo that got him through the rough mornings.

The two actually started dating shortly after Rocky fixed them up. Their very 'casual' breakup was true, due to his knowing how pissed Tinka would be if he continued to date Cece after hearing how they treated their cousin. He found her later on and apologized for the abruptness of the breakup, since Cece did appear both shocked and agitated. He offered to make it up to her by grabbing some pizza together, which she eventually gave into doing. After some time, they decided to try dating for real, as long as neither Tinka nor Rocky caught wind about it, lest the two form a witch-hunt, and they'd been together since.

He pulled his mind from the memory, hearing Tinka calling out his name, then glared at the outfit she was holding up. The shirt had a black front and back, with _glittery_ sides starting at the armpits and going down to the bottom. The back of the shirt had a glittery 'G' for Gunther. The pants were silver jeans that she made, with a brown belt. "Well? Do you like it?" He moved his eyes to her face, cringing slightly. He watched her eyes droop and sadness began mixing into her expression as she started lowering the wardrobe. "You don't like it, do you? Just tell me, you know I can take it."

"No! No, I love it Tinka, it's amazing." Her face lit up with joy. She pushed the door open and hugged him. With a loud gasp, he twisted around, making her back face the desk.

"I'm glad you love it so much. It'll be great, we have _guests_ today!"

He took the outfit and tossed it onto the bed, forcing down the bile in his throat. Again, with the glitter. "Yeah, yeah, it's a great outf-what?" His eyes grew with fear, prayerfully the guests were not anyone they knew. He'd been embarrassed as hell when Rocky and Cece had to come over last year for the holiday day thing. Cece teased him for _days_ about that. It wasn't that he wasn't proud of his family, proud of his heritage, not at all. He was only embarrassed of them. Hopefully his dad wouldn't do what he did every time they had guests over, and that was sharing the story of how the parents met. "So, who are the guests?"

"Oh, Ty and Cece came over. I don't know why, but they wanted to meet our parents for some reason."

"Ty and Cece? Why would those two be….here…?" He smacked his forehead and closed his eyes, he forgot about the phone call from Cece earlier. Didn't he tell her not to call before eleven, when he was still asleep? He rarely ever was awake enough to know what anyone was talking about! Cece called saying Ty found out about their relationship somehow and wanted to see what the family was like, otherwise he would spill the beans to Rocky. Gunther told her to just come right over with him, hung up the phone, and went back to sleep. "Crap…"

"I'll leave you to get dressed. Ooh this is so exciting! Well, minus the 'Cece' part…" He raised an eyebrow and watched as she scurried from the room. He moved his eyes to the outfit on the bed and groaned, he _really_ didn't want Ty or Cece to see him in this, even though they saw him in similar stuff almost every day. For once he wanted to show them some outfits he enjoyed, definitely wanted to show Cece, who always complained about him having very little individuality when it came to Tinka.

Their first couple fight had _literally_ been about how she felt like she was dating his sister at the same time. So he had to make a few changes, and he started to become a bit of his own person, but outfits and whatnot remained the same. "Well. At least my hair is my own…"

After his shower, getting dressed, and doing his hair, all which took about thirty minutes, he made his way into the living room where Ty and Cece were seated on a couch. His grandmother was in a recliner, his parents in the other sofa, and Tinka was standing behind Ty. Ty had his arm on the top of the sofa and his right ankle rested on his left knee. Cece was sitting cross-legged with her hands enclosed upon her knee. Her body was leaning forward and her lips puckered outwards.

The two eyed him walking in and Ty's lip curled into a teasing smirk, forcing him to roll his eyes. Cece said nothing and closed her eyes, smiling subtly. His father was wearing the same regal, flashy outfit that he wore on the holiday when Rocky and Cece showed up, but then, all his outfits looked the same. His mom was wearing a long colorful gown with a leopard chest. Her hair flowed out in a long trademark ponytail.

"Hey," he muttered and folded his arms across his chest. "I wasn't prepared for this…" Ty's face lit up and his smirk grew into a grin, he obviously remembered their conversation from the day before. "So why are _your _ugly mugs here?" He added a conceited tone to distract everyone from the disdain he was feeling right about now. Cece exchanged legs and folded her arms over. He felt his stomach flip and lowered his arms, she looked upset, but then, she didn't like him talking like that.

"Well, I was remembering the great tale we heard from Mr. Hessenheffer last year, and I wanted to share it with Ty." She smirked deviously and his jaw dropped just as his father jumped up and laughed, clapping his hands once in the air. She _knew_ he hated how his father acted when this came up, but moreover, he really didn't like his friends really _knowing_ his parents.

"Well if you insist," Kashlack Hessenheffer responded, throwing his cape back dramatically. Gunther moved his eyes upwards as his mom stood up. "It began, with Squitza in line for the _throne_." Ty's eyebrows rose and Gunther started to muster the best smile he could. He could feel Cece's satisfied gaze burning into him. She _did_ know he didn't _mean_ what he said, right? "One day she came into my butcher shop, and it was love, but her father, the King, would not hear of it. So, she had to make a _choice!_" He slammed his foot on the ground and spun towards his wife, then began a romantic, dramatic walk towards her. "Be a Queen, or marry for _love_." Kashlack took his wife's hand and bowed to his knee, slowly kissing her soft hand. "So it was, she chose _love!_"

"Ooh, I just love hearing that story!" Tinka said with a cheery laugh. Gunther moved his eyes to the side and exhaled as Tinka started moving towards the kitchen. "I'm going to grab the crepes from the oven, Mom." Squitza gasped and rushed after her.

"Oh dear, hold on, there's something more I have to do with them!" Gunther looked over to his grandmother, who was still sleeping in her chair, like always. Absolutely nothing ever woke her up, the only way they could tell she was alive, was by her snoring. He met Cece's eyes and mouthed 'really?' at her. Her eyes lit up as they mixed into his, as though he was the best thing she'd seen all day. Of course, they had a deep loving connection for one another, they were surprised no one ever picked up on it. Although, he'd have to be careful here, because his father actually was an _excellent_ reader of emotions.

Ty rose to his feet and walked over to Gunther, placing his hand onto his shoulder. "Well…I just forgot to ask for that pose you and Tinka do all the time, man." He laughed once and Gunther rolled his eyes.

"Oh shut it."

"Gunther!" Cece called out. She pat the cushion next to her, hiding her hand beside her to avoid anyone seeing her gesture. "Why don't you have a seat, Mr. Glitter?" His heart fluttered and he released a slow chuckle before walking over to the couch and sitting down next to her. She twiddled her thumbs and spoke in a quiet whisper. "Sorry to drop in, I thought you said it was okay."

"Half asleep."

"Oh." Her lips formed an oval and her hand smacked against her forehead. He smirked at her and admired her morning appearance. She was so adorable. He especially loved her vibrant red curls, which framed her face and never seemed to fall out of place. She was wearing a pink spaghetti strap shirt that ended with a long pleated red skirt that ended just after her knees. She had a red shawl around her shoulders. Her eyes shone through those beautiful bangs that he always teased her about, only playful teases, only she knew he really liked them.

"So!" Kashlack exclaimed. Gunther jerked back reflexively, he'd forgotten his father was still there. He looked over to see his dad walking back to the couch he'd been sitting on. The man smiled at the trio and crossed his legs. "You've come to meet the Hessenheffer family, have you? What do you think so far, Ty?"

"I like your house," Ty responded politely. Gunther nodded as his friend moved over to the couch and sat next to him. Gunther slowly moved his hand between himself and Cece, then gently tapped the side of her leg with his finger. She responded by moving her hand over to his and smiling as he held onto her soft, moisturized hand.

He was beginning to sweat under his father's gaze, he really didn't need the man figuring anything out. Although, what would it hurt? He and Cece had spoken about it, but they figured Kashlack would react with too much absurdity. The man was about to speak, but was stalled when his wife called him from the kitchen. "Kashlack! Can you come in here, we absolutely must discuss our lunch plans!"

"Ah yes, we must include the guests of honor!" Kashlack rose abruptly from his seat and rushed into the kitchen, dramatically as always. Gunther's eyes widened and his face became red. Cece and Ty glanced at him with concern.

"Dude, you look like a balloon about to pop on helium!" Ty chuckled and smacked Gunther's shoulder. A slight pain shot through him and he quickly glared at his friend. "I thought you said you were always prepared?"

"I _am_, just not right when I wake up. You blackmailed Cece into meeting my family? For what? Laughs? I seriously don't think-"

"Relax man, I'm sorry, I know I probably should have talked to you first…truth is, I kind of wanted to meet your family because, well, I like your sister." Now that was shocking to hear, he and Cece both glanced oddly at Ty, who now had his head bowed and his cheeks were tinted a slight pink. "I didn't know coming over here would cause trouble."

"Well we kind of have to be careful. I mean, this is one place where if it ever was found out that Cece and I were, you know…" He glanced over his shoulder towards the kitchen where his family members were huddled up and conversing about lunch. "I'd never hear the end of it from Tinka, that's for sure." He felt a sharp pain in his hand and yelped as he pulled it away from Cece's vice grip. Her lips were pressed tight and her eyes were narrow.

"You know, again, you treat your sister like she's your girlfriend." Cece agitated eyes to him and he slowly bowed his head. He wasn't sure how to respond to such a statement, since it was actually disgusting to imagine Tinka as a girlfriend, but even more disgusting to admit that Cece had a point to her words. "Look Gunther, I love you, but seriously…I don't _mind_ the whole secret dating thing, but it is getting old seeing you as a spineless clone of your sister whenever she's in the same room."

"And that would explain why we're never together or talking when she's around…"

"No, _that_ is because you're too insecure to stand up for yourself and be your own person whenever she's around. You can act cool and yourself just fine when she's _not_ around, but when she is…" Cece pointed her hand to his glittery shirt and frowned. "_This_ is what happens." He closed his eyes and flared his nostrils for a brief second, he really didn't want to get into a defensive argument with her right now. Yes, they did fight every now and then, but whenever they did, the making up was more than worth it.

"Well, what about you not wanting to tell Rocky? Wouldn't she freak out too?"

"In more ways than one, but at least I can be my own self around her. You're ashamed to be your own self around your sister. Why are you ashamed of who you are? I like who you are when you can be yourself." Whenever he was himself, he _was_ a bit flamboyant, but at the same time there was a good balance between 'hip and cool' and 'flamboyant pretty boy'. When he was with Tinka, he was _only_ 'disgusting flamboyant pretty boy'. When he was with Cece and Ty, or just by himself, he was both the fun, perky and somewhat flamboyant guy mixed with cool, awesome guy.

"You didn't see the face she made when she thought I wasn't going to wear this outfit. She would shed those tears of guilt if she thought for an instant that I didn't like to wear these outfits!"

"You _don't_…"

"Okay that's true, _but…_" He bounced his hands in the air for a second as Ty and Cece stared with annoyance. Ty snapped his fingers and smacked his leg, catching Gunther's attention.

"So _why_ do you wear that stuff? Do you even own anything somewhat 'normal'?"

"Oh he does," Cece chimed in. Gunther chuckled lightly and rubbed the back of his head. Over the time they've dated, he managed to show her some pictures of his outfits, while also managing, on occasion, to slip out in something less flashy for a date. "You should have seen us on our one year anniversary date, he actually wore a simple corduroy sports jacket, brown slacks, and a light blue dress shirt. He took me to this fantastic restaurant, although I'm still curious as to how he managed to get the money…"

"How much was the dinner?"

"It wound up being nearly eighty dollars…" Ty's eyes grew large and Gunther lifted his gaze skyward. It was difficult for even him to think about, his father randomly gave him money for that day. He lowered his hands to his lap and closed his eyes.

"The day I was trying to figure a place to go to dinner. I told Dad I wanted to find a new place to eat for dinner, he suggested I try the Eagle's Nest, and forked over fifty bucks. It was the most random exchange of money we've ever had…"

"So you asked him for that?"

"Not really. I was kind of talking to myself." He had been muttering something about finding a new place to eat, his dad walked in, said to try the Eagle's Nest, dropped the money on the bed, and walked out. "After that, we had no further exchange on the subject. Anyway, I don't know what anyone expects me to do when it comes to my family. They're embarrassing, everything Tinka drags me along on is embarrassing. I mean, not _everything_, but just look at what I'm wearing and imagine me wearing this in public. Which I probably will end up doing one of these days!"

"You shouldn't be embarrassed of your family," Ty commented. "I mean, they're your family, and yeah family is going to be crazy as hell sometimes, but that doesn't mean you should just be constantly embarrassed and spineless."

"I'm not spineless."

"Then stand up for yourself, tell Tinka whether or not you like that outfit you're wearing. Go ahead. She's right in the next room" He stammered for a minute and looked to the kitchen, could he actually do that? The image of Tinka falling to the ground in tears, and his parents shaking their heads with shame was almost too much to bear. He whimpered once and Ty rolled his eyes. Cece put her hand to his cheek and turned his gaze to hers. He sighed as his eyes mixed with her soft, loving eyes. She smiled and reached over, kissing the corner of his lips. The blood shot to his cheeks and his heart jumped into his throat, the couch turned to air and he let out a contented sigh.

"Gunther, just be yourself and your family will love you either way," she said. "Don't be afraid to show them what you show me every time we're out together. Are you so scared of disapproval that you just want to hide for the rest of your life?" He shook his head, his eyes were still locked with his. "You know what I see when I look at you? Someone that wants to be his own person, and not just…'together we are the Hessenheffers'. You love to dance, you love modeling, you do like rock…sometimes rap." He chuckled and Ty's eyebrows rose curiously. There were many things that most people, even his family, didn't know about him. "I know that as much as you love your family's culture and heritage, you also love this country, and you want to experience all those things."

"Have you never been to a baseball or football game?" Ty interrupted. Cece shot him a look and Gunther's heart sank a little. He never got the chance.

"Tinka's never been interest-"

"Stop right there." Cece put her finger to his lips. He muffled in confusion and lifted the inside of his eyebrows up, frowning sadly as she slowly pulled her finger back. "That's your answer to everything, Gunther. You've never been to a ball game because Tinka isn't interested. You've never been to a rock concert, because _Tinka_ doesn't like rock. I know for a fact that you wanted to go to a concert that _Skillet_ was having, but you didn't go because Tinka would be upset with you."

"Yikes man!" Ty put his hand to his shoulder once more and Gunther slowly closed his eyes. "I'm embarrassed. For _you_. Are you Gunther Hessenheffer, or are you just…Hessenheffer." His stomach lurched and his head started aching. Maybe he could stop feeling embarrassed every time he went in public with Tinka if he was just himself. He loved to make his sister happy, though.

"I am _Gunther_…but I don't want to make Tinka upset. She's always so into the whole twin thing that it would break her heart." Cece pulled her hand away and cupped his hands with hers, she held onto her smile. His eyes drifted to hers and he was starting to be pulled into them. How he loved to swim in her gaze.

"You can do anything and everything with her, but you can also be yourself. Being yourself doesn't mean you aren't her twin. You can even do that pose that you guys do, there's nothing in the world that could possibly make you two separated just because you want to be yourself. She's still your best friend."

"Correction, that would be…well actually that is true. Sorry Ty." Ty laughed and lifted his hand up. Cece chuckled and brought her head to rest on his shoulder.

"You know there's two women in your life right now that I'm confident wouldn't leave you behind no matter what. That's your girlfriend, and your sister. However…your _girlfriend_ wants to date you, not your sister. You don't need to be embarrassed, ashamed, or scared. You can be yourself if you want to."

"I know…it's just difficult. Every time I want to say 'no', I imagine Tinka bawling her eyes out." Thinking on his clothes, he rose from the seat, taking Cece's hand with his. "Come on guys, I want to show you my wardrobe…" He rolled his eyes and exhaled. "That I never wear."

"Are you sure you want Ty seeing your room?" He paused for a minute, thinking on the question. Cece was the only person that ever saw his room, only because she'd have to climb into his window to see him some nights. He lifted his shoulders and continued leading them to his door.

"It doesn't matter…I'm normally cleaner than this, but lately I've been a little out of it." His door was made of brown oak. On the outside of the door was a sign that said 'Keep Out', which was typical for anyone that didn't want people seeing his room. He opened the door and led the two inside, Cece moved over and sat on the bed, casually ignoring the mess she was used to by now. Ty stood, stunned for a moment, then walked over to the closet.

"So these are your clothes?"

"Yes…" Gunther grabbed some of the shirts and pants, he did have some bright colored shirts, bright colored jeans, but only about three or four pairs of each. He had about five normal colored jeans consisting of blue, black, and brown. He had a few polo shirts, various solid colored shirts that varied from black, red, green, brown, and blue. His favorite color was blue, and he always did think it matched so well with auburn red. "These are just some of the solids." Ty watched him place his clothes on the bed, as Gunther pulled more out, he was starting to see some cool looking clothes that _he'd_ wear.

"I'm amazed. Where was all this when I tried to make you more 'hip'?"

"It was here, but Tinka wanted me to wear what she wanted…" Cece rolled her eyes back and fell back onto the bed, groaning lightly. Gunther cringed as her groan stabbed at him. He knew it bothered her, but he never really took into consideration just how bad things were. "Uh…here's some more…"

He was getting to the shirts with the designs and shirts with stripes, along with sweet looking leather jackets. One shirt was a blue button up shirt with three black vertical stripes. He had a few band t-shirts for various rock artists. There were some shirts with witty statements. There was one shirt that was green and had an image of a brontosaurus, beneath it was the quote "Never forget". He had hoodies of varying types.

"So this is what you spend your money on? Clothes you never freakin' wear?"

"Close enough…" He looked back and saw Cece still lying back with her hands in her pockets. As she sat up, her hair flew behind her, giving her a graceful rising appearance.

"That button up shirt with the black stripes, along with those black jeans and that black leather jacket would make you look _so_ sexy, Gunther. Would you be embarrassed to wear it?" He stared at the outfit and smiled slightly. He'd be scared to put it on around Tinka, he wasn't sure how his parents would take it, but he wouldn't be embarrassed at all. He smirked subtly and lifted his eyes up.

"Probably not, I bet a lot of the ladies out there would like it."

"Uh huh, but let's not jump to conclusions." She rose up and put her hands on his shoulder, then reached up and gave him a quick, chaste kiss on the lips. "You're taken." She paused a moment and breathed in, smiling still. "I just want you to be happy, Gunther. Do whatever makes you happy. You're always complaining, so fix the problem, okay? I'll love you no matter what." As she stepped back, they heard a firm knock on the door, it matched his father's typical knock.

"Gunther, lunch is ready. Would you and your guests join us?" He looked to Cece and Ty, both smiled back and nodded, more than happy to join in and have some food.

"Sure, we'll be right out."

"Oh, and Gunther, I promise this doesn't have eyeballs in it…"

"Dad!" Kashlack laughed and Cece snickered. She kissed his cheek and moved the clothes back to the bed, then started for the door. Ty gave Gunther a light pat on the back and started walking with him out the door.

"You have a nice room, it really says a lot about who you are and what you're interested in. Just what Cece was telling me on the way up here…I don't think your family's all that bad. Your sister's actually very pretty when she's being herself too. Your pops is awesome and your mother seems cool. Nothing to be embarrassed about, they're just a typical family. You just need to put that aside and tell them how you really feel about things, no big deal, right?" Gunther stopped moving and watched Ty walk out the door, he took a lingering glance at the clothes Cece pointed out. He moved his gaze around his room, smiling at his guitar, the posters, and finally the framed picture of his beautiful girlfriend. After a few seconds, he slowly walked out of his room.

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I've decided to split this oneshot a bit, to make it easier for people to read...it's still a oneshot, not a multi-chapter story. Keep this in mind.


	2. The Truth Comes Out

Always Prepared

Disclaimer: I don't own this show

A/N: Never thought the day would come I'd write a oneshot for this, _but_, I was given an idea by one sentence. The show "Shake it Up" on Disney. So this is a oneshot, I was given this idea by Gunther's line to Ty in one of the episodes, in which Ty tells him to prepare to be embarrassed, and he states "I am always prepared to be embarrassed", then walks off. Enjoy the oneshot my friends.

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-THE TRUTH COMES OUT-

After lunch, Cece and Ty had to leave and get back to their homes before people started asking questions. Tinka and Squitza were in the kitchen washing dishes while Gunther and his father were in the living room. Gunther was sitting on the couch that Ty and Cece had been on earlier while his father sat on the other couch, studying him carefully. He had an anxious feeling that something was wrong. He could feel the sticky sweat rolling down his neck and swallowed hard as he met his father's unwavering gaze. "Something on your mind, Dad?"

"Yes. Why do you wear that outfit?" He looked down at the glittery shirt that his sister chose and twitched his lips. Kashlack pointed at him, then rubbed his chin. "You do not like it."

"I-I never said that, did I?" His heart pounded in his chest and the air around him started slipping away. Kashlack chuckled and brandished his hand in the air.

"Don't play around Gunther, you know you cannot hide things from me. You think of us as embarrassing?" His heart froze and his eyes started to water, had his father overheard them? Did he, then, know about Cece? Though right now, that seemed to be the least of his problems.

"H-How much did you hear?"

"Enough. I wanted to say I approve of your girlfriend, she appears to care deeply for you. She is your first true girlfriend, and that's usually where the sense of desire for independence starts to hit a twin. That, or friendships. Either way, love has a funny way of making people see things with a fuller perspective. She is right, son, you have no reason to be afraid of us. Or embarrassed of us…"

"When did you find out?"

"I knew when you went to that Eagle's restaurant. You may be good at hiding that picture frame, but there was that one day you didn't…I saw the frame, saw you getting dressed up fancy, put two and two together. Your father is not as insane as you will have yourself believe." Kashlack smirked and Gunther's eyebrows rose in surprise. He'd been silent all this time? That was _months_ ago! "I just figured you would tell us when you were ready to."

"Dad, I'm so sorry, I never meant-" Once more his father waved his hand in the air. He stifled himself and frowned as his father smiled kindly.

"Son, more than ever, you will always have your family's love. There's nothing that can change that. You have every right to be who you want to be, do not do things that your sister wants to do just to please her, she is her own person as well. Do you want to walk around in public wearing your flashy, glittery, someone feminine outfits? Tell me now, be strong."

Sweat ran along the side of his face as he closed his eyes and swallowed. His father seemed to ambush him, did he have a choice now? At least the man wasn't angry with him, but hell, the fear was eating away at him. "N-No…" It squeaked out from his lips and his father shook his head.

"Stronger son, be stronger. I did not raise you to be weak, you must be strong." Kashlack lifted his hands at his chest, as if pushing up a weight. Gunther closed his eyes and slowly breathed in, thinking about Cece and how important she was to him. He knew that if he remained glued to his sister, that relationship might fail one day, and he did not want to lose her. He didn't want to lose his friends either, but they were right. Was he Gunther, or was he just a Hessenheffer? He had to decide. He loved his sister, he loved his family, no matter how embarrassing they might be, he _was_ proud to call them his family. Did that mean he had to think, act, and be one hundred percent like them? Not necessarily, there was a line, and that was most likely what his father's message was. "Well son?" Kashlack snapped his fingers and smiled as Gunther closed his eyes and summoned up the courage.

"No. No I hate these clothes. I mean, some of the flashy clothes are okay, but I cannot stand glitter. I can't stand just standing out in school and being called all sorts of names. I cannot stand having so few friends. I want to be myself, I enjoy rock music, I enjoy ball games, hot dogs, hamburgers, and I'm not exactly a fan of eating eyeballs either…" Kashlack laughed. The thought of eating the eyeballs actually was upsetting, since last year, he actually got sick after eating a bad eyeball. "Life has never been the same since I got food poisoning from that one last year."

"Yes, yes, I can understand that. You've just been feeling…"

"Embarrassed to show my face in public. I usually just train myself to brush it off, I'm always prepared for embarrassment. Or at least, I'd like to be." He heard someone gasp and opened his eyes to see his sister standing in the room with wide, hurt eyes. "Tinka?" How much had she heard? How long had she been there? Kashlack looked from him to Tinka, and waited, expecting him to tell her just how he felt. How could he do that?

"Gunther? You're embarrassed by me?"

"No! No, that's not what I meant…" He was beginning to tremble, but at the same time, remembering that this was for the best. He wanted happiness, and being himself was how he was going to be happy. He rose to his feet and bravely stepped forward. "Tinka, I…" She scanned his outfit and turned her head away.

"I made that special for you and you hate it." Guilt struck him, too hard, but he needed to stand his ground. "You hate all the outfits…why do I make them for you, then?"

"Tinka, I'm sorry." He put his hands to her shoulders and she slowly turned his eyes back to his. "Hear me out, please." He scanned her inquisitive, emotional gaze and started thinking very carefully on his words. He had to be, she'd been more emotional this week, as it was about that time of month once again. "Tinka, listen, you are, and have always been, my friend. You always will be my friend, no matter what. You're more than a sister to me, you're one of my best friends…" She huffed slightly and flashed a tiny smile.

"Sounds like what you'd say to someone you were breaking up with…" He paused and blinked for a minute, she had a point. He cleared his throat and shook his head.

"Tinka, I have always appreciated everything we've done together, and we can still do things together, but I _honestly_ want to be my own person, to do my own things sometimes. I want to be _Gunther_, not just 'A Hessenheffer', or 'one of the twins'. 'Tinka's Brother', 'The boy twin', 'The clones', but _Gunther_."

"I get it, I do, it's just…we've always done _everything_ together. The same outfits, the same style, the same poses…"

"Tinka, someone told me on multiple occasions that when they talk to me, it's like they're talking to _you_. We can still hang out plenty, I'm not going to change drastically like I did when Ty tried to change me. I'm still going to be _me_, but I'm going to be the me that I want to be. Does that make sense? I don't want to wear glitter, because I hate glitter. I want to wear clothing that makes me look 'sexy', and not crazy. I want to turn heads, Tinka, and I can't do that by just being a clone. I have to shine in my own way, and you have to shine in your own way, okay?"

Her eyes drifted to the ground and she muttered, as though thinking. He was wondering where the hell he found those words, and his father was giving him a proud look. After a few seconds, her eyes flicked up to his and she gave a swift nod. "Okay, I think I can try this. It's going to be hard, you know, and I still want to do the pose on occasion…if possible?" He squinted and wavered his hand in the air.

"Eh, maybe make a slight change, but I think we can still do it."

"So…who was it that told you that talking to you was like talking to me?"

"Uh…" Well he definitely hadn't prepared for that answer, so now he had to find a way around it. He smiled slightly and lifted his shoulders. "Deuce." Ah the poor guy would just have to deal with it if she brought it up later.

"Okay, well as of this minute, I want you to-" He raised an eyebrow and she pat her hands on his arm, then moved them downwards with a sigh. "Just do what it is you want to do Gunther, as your sister, I'll be just fine. I was going to tell you to go change, but you can do that if you want…" He hugged her and felt his heart rising, fortunately she was taking it much better than he thought. If he knew she'd take it so well, he would have done this a long time ago.

"You know what, Tinka? I think for today, I'll wear this outfit." Tinka smiled at him. He lifted his eyebrows and blinked once, "I won't be leaving the house. But I'll wear it. Love you sis…"

"Love you too, Bro. Wasn't it weird that Cece and Ty showed up? I mean, Ty sure, but _Cece_? Ugh…" He sighed as she turned and walked off. It was a reminder that he'd better not let that secret spill. His father laughed and pat him on the shoulder.

"Your secret is safe with me, Son. I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad."

Monday morning, Gunther walked into the school, and was already turning heads. He had on black tennis shoes, his black jeans, the blue shirt with vertical black stripes was hanging out over his jeans, and he was wearing a simple leather jacket. His hair was in it's usual style, and his lip was twisted into a sexy smirk. Beside him was Tinka, dressed as colorful as usual.

Tinka threw her head and hand back, striking a pose. "I am _Tinka Hessenheffer!_" Gunther raised an eyebrow, ran his hand threw his hair, and exhaled slowly.

"And _I_ am _Gunther _Hessenheffer." Several women started whistling at him and making catcalls, but he wasn't interested in any of their charms. He pushed his hands back and growled. "Hey, hey! If you didn't like me _before_ all this, then you need to walk away now."

"Yeah!" His ever loyal sister stepped forward and glared at the girls, forcing several of them back. "Besides, anyone that wants a shake at my brother has to go through _me!_"

"Well, I think I can handle that part, Tinka. Now, if you're okay with it, I have to go find someone…" She looked at him with sadness, but smiled simply after a few seconds and lifted her shoulders.

"Okay, will I see you before class?"

"Maybe, depends on if I can find who I'm looking for."

"Okay…"

He parted there and made his way directly towards Rocky and Cece's lockers. On the way, he passed Deuce, who stared at him in shock. He found Rocky by the lockers and cleared his throat. "Hello there."

"Not now, you two, seriously," Rocky complained as she pulled her books out rapidly. "I have a test coming up and I seriously need to focus." She turned around and froze, her eyes stared upon him as if she'd just seen a caterpillar turn into a butterfly. There was only one girl that helped to make all this possible, one girl that gave him the strength to tell his family over the weekend just how he felt. "There's only one of you I see…"

"Yes, and I should say so to you too. Where is your friend with the poor bangs?" Rocky narrowed her eyes and folded her arms.

"I see that's one thing you didn't change about you. She's in the gym, not that it's any of your business. The gym teacher wanted her to help clean up before classes, she got into a little trouble Friday."

"I see."

"So uh…" She smacked her lips and started scanning his body, as though she were severely confused and baffled. "Where's Tinka, and why are you suddenly hot?" He chuckled and started to walk off. She was so lucky Cece wasn't there to hear her say that. "Hey!" He stopped and glanced back, he was really in a hurry. He didn't mean to brush her off, but he just _had_ to find Cece.

"I'm sorry Rocky, I really am in a hurry. Tinka's probably hanging around somewhere. I've decided to become more individualized…"

"Oh."

"Yeah. Later Rocky." He hurried off. The sense of peace inside him was great. More than ever, he was loving the fact that he didn't feel _embarrassed_ anymore. This was him, this was who he was, and he was loving it! _"No more glitter!"_

When he entered the gym, he saw Cece on her hands and knees, scrubbing a spill on the floor with a hard brim brush. Her was neat and in place, she was now wearing a red t-shirt with chiffon sleeves, and tight denim jeans. She was so focused on what she was doing that she didn't even see him walking towards her.

She stood up and wiped her forehead with her arm, sighing with exhaustion. He stepped behind her and slowly put his fingers to her sides. "Hey Bay-Bee." She gasped and dropped the brush, then quickly spun around, giving him a scolding look.

"Don't sneak up on me like that, Gunther!"

"I'm sorry, I just thought you might like to see what I look like." He smiled, full of love and hope. He remembered her saying something about this particular outfit, so he wanted to wear it for her especially. She tapped her chin and scanned him, humming thoughtfully.

"Hmm, okay, yes…Well you look better than I do right now." She laughed slightly and threw her arms around his neck. Her doting eyes locked into his, pulling him in as they always did. "So, what have you decided? Are you happy?"

"Very. I've decided to be myself, and I talked to Tinka. She was okay with everything, took it hard, but at the same time, handled it with grace. I think."

"So, you are happy?"

"Yes, I am happy. I have you to thank." He tenderly kissed her lips and watched with glee as her the blood rose to her cheeks. "Dad knows about us, but has agreed to keep it quiet until we're ready to, you know, tell anyone…" She frowned for a second and nodded.

"That won't be easy to do, I mean your sister, and Rocky, both of them would probably freak out. However, whenever you want to reveal our relationship, you know I'll be right there beside you. I will always support you."

"And I'll support you. I, uh…spoke with Gary over the weekend, by the way." He started to smirk and watched the confusion and question grow upon her face. "I asked him to have us do one of those 'blind dances', where we dance to a song without rehearsal, and if it's good enough…do it on the show."

"I see. Should I be worried?" She squinted her eyes and smiled a very subtle smile.

"_Well_…I got him to choose random partners for the song, but _suggested_ that since we worked so well together, that he ought to put us together again. He said he would think about it. As for the song, you'll just have to wait and see. It's all for you." Her blush deepened and she hugged his neck tighter, sighing contentedly.

"So do I get to know at least what _type_ of song it is?"

"Nope." He knew the song would force everyone into simultaneous slow dancing, and that was their challenge. To hold each other close, to spin, and to do an all around romantic dance. The song artist was one he knew she liked, someone from the older days. There weren't a lot of old artists and old songs she cared for, but the one he'd found was one of the few.

At the dance, he sat with Tinka and watched Cece talking with Rocky and Gary. He was overcome with excitement and wonder, anticipating this dance. After a few minutes, Gary had called all the dancers together and wagged his eyebrows. "All right, so we're going to do this a little differently. We're going to do a 'blind dance' and if all goes well, we'll do it tomorrow during the show. This one is a romantic themed one, so what that means is, every one of you must dance simultaneously. Keep the rhythm going! It may be best to follow the person in the middle. I will choose who I think will make the best pairs for this."

Many people groaned, not wanting to do a slow dance. Cece looked at him with an odd smile and waited as Gary started calling everyone.

"Tinka, you'll be with Ryan. Rocky, you're with Carter. Cece, you're with Gunther, and you two will be the middle dancers, just for the heck of it…." Tinka and Rocky groaned while the happy couple feigned displeasure over Gary's choice. "Don't complain, you're going to dance together, and you're going to _like_ it!"

After all the dancers were partnered up, Gunther and Cece met in the center of the stage. The other couples circled around them, but they paid no mind to it. As the music started to play, Cece's eyes lit up with shock and her lips parted in a gasp, she recognized it in an instant. _Johnny Paycheck's _1973 hit, _Mr. Lovemaker_.

_Mr. Lovemaker, don't let anyone take her_  
_I need that woman's love to set me free_  
_Mr. Lovemaker, don't let anyone take her_  
_Till I can make her love me._

_Hey, I know you're out there somewhere_  
_And I know you've got the power to make her care_  
_If you've ever thought of helping me help me now_  
_Take her by the hand and guide her to my arms somehow._

_Mr. Lovemaker, don't let anyone take her_  
_I need that woman's love to set me free_  
_Mr. Lovemaker, don't let anyone take her_  
_Till I can make her love me._

_Mr. Lovemaker, don't let anyone take her_  
_I need that woman's love to set me free_  
_Mr. Lovemaker, don't let anyone take her_  
_Till I can make her love me..._

"Oh my god," she whispered as the singer began. Gunther lifted his hand, the other couples followed the action with their girls. Cece put her hand in his and he moved his other hand to her waist, pulling her in close. She moved her arms around his neck and gazed into his eyes.

"All for you. Let's dance, you and me, our own little world while the other dancers follow us. Blissfully unaware of what we mean to each other."

"We'll have to tell them one day…"

"One day, when we are both prepared for it. As for right now, it's just you and me. I love you." He dipped her forward, the other couples followed. He held her, then quickly pulled her back up, spinning around with her and gazing deep into her eyes. "More than anything, I do."

"And I love you. Always."

* * *

There, I split it in two. I feel like people might be turned away from seeing a giant oneshot. Anyway here's my sad issue. This oneshot, writing it, has inspired me to expand on the secret relationship thing. To go back and write Gunther and Cece's relationship from the start, chronicling all the drama, struggles, why they haven't been able to come clean, and so forth. It would likely come to this point, and then we'd get onward, it would follow the series. Another part of me doesn't _want_ to do that because I've done that before with another fandom, though the secret relationship didn't make as much sense as this one (not a really good reason), and I kept adding secrets and plot points that I wouldn't do again. I am no less proud of that story though, I love it, and I like this one. I hope you've enjoyed this oneshot. Let me know what you think!


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